Praise for Tactical Transparency
"I think this book spells out this new form of online communication in an extremely clear and valuable way. It drives home the point that social networking and blogging are only as useful and effective as the energy you put forth. As CEO, if you are sincere in your belief that the consumer of today deserves an opportunity to be heard, and you believe in your mission and direction for the company you lead, then this kind of communication is appropriate and necessary for future success!"
—Cindi Bigelow, president, Bigelow Tea
"Being better engaged with the marketplace than your competition is an advantage; transparency and authenticity are vital to that engagement. Engaging in an authentic conversation with the markets you serve brings nothing but opportunity."
—Jonathan Schwartz, CEO and president, Sun Microsystems
"Social media is transforming our culture. Smart companies value social media as a cultural pathway to creating more trustworthy relationships with customers. Holtz and Havens have crafted an impressive blueprint on how to be successful in this new age."
—Jackie Huba, coauthor, Citizen Marketers and Creating Customer Evangelists
"Using effective scenarios and real examples, this book will help corporate leaders visualize and practically achieve the positive results coming from embracing authenticity in communicating to customers, partners, and internal employees."
—Paolo Tosolini, new media business manager, Microsoft Corp.
"In a world of transparency, consumers cut through the bull, the fluff, the noise, and the decoys to see what's really at the unvarnished core. This excellent book—written by two experts who have never taken off their own transparency goggles—is part warning shot and part blueprint for the future."
—Pete Blackshaw, EVP, Nielsen Online, and author, Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000
Foreword (Lynne D. Johnson).
Introduction: The Glass House of Business.
Part One: Strategy.
1. What Is Transparency? A Working Defi nition.
2. Someone May Be Looking: Transparency Done Right and Wrong.
3. Do You Have What It Takes? Characteristics of Transparent Organizations.
Part Two: Tactics.
4. From Prospects to People: Why Opaque Selling Doesn’t Deliver Long-Term Return on Investment.
5. Follow the Money: Financial Communications.
6. When Things Go Bad: Transparency During a Crisis.
7. Exposing the Company to the Employees Who Make It Work: Internal Transparency.
8. Meet the Press: Traditional Public Relations and Media Relations.
9. The View from the Top: The Role of Leadership.
10. En-Gauge the Conversation: How Issues Blogs Show People You’re Listening.
11. From the Inside Looking Out: Employee Involvement.
12. Transparency Beyond Text: How Audio, Video, and Interactive Media Build Trust.
13. Profi le and Privacy: Transparency in Social Networks.
14. The Case for Face-to-Face: Transparency in Person.
Part Three: Making It Real.
15. The Toothpaste Is Out of the YouTube: Addressing Loss of Control with Transparent Tactics.
16. Yeah, But . . . : Overcoming Objections.
17. Your Road Map to Transparency: Creating a Plan.
18. What’s Next? The Future of Transparency.
Notes.
Acknowledgments.
The Authors.
Index.
Shel Holtz and John C. Havens have tremendous experience with a range of social media, and both this experience and their zest for its possibilities come through clearly. This lively, timely book's core message is simple: In the digital age, transparency is a requirement, not a choice, and so business leaders must decide how to manage it. Your choices are complex, and fraught with emotion and risk. Transparency issues concerning openness and how much data to divulge often unfold in real time, so business readers need every bit of the guidance and preparation the authors provide. Holtz and Havens acknowledge that some of their specific suggestions will become dated quickly; however, their general principles and case studies will be useful for quite some time. (Actually, more pertinent than the fear that their pointers will become dated is the concern that the authors are overly enthusiastic about their topic.) getAbstract recommends this to readers interested in social media, and to leaders trying to shape a communication strategy in today's shifting landscape.
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Overview
Praise for Tactical Transparency
"I think this book spells out this new form of online communication in an extremely clear and valuable way. It drives home the point that social networking and blogging are only as useful and effective as the energy you put forth. As CEO, if you are sincere in your belief that the consumer of today deserves an opportunity to be heard, and you believe in your mission and direction for the company you lead, then this kind of communication is ...